The structural clarity
you wished for
in school.
The structural clarity you wished for in school.
Video-first
Every structural concept on video, taught at the whiteboard by Prof. Thaddeus. No textbooks, no rote memorization.
ARE exam–ready
Built around the structural systems topics on the Architect Registration Exam. Prof. Thaddeus leads ARE prep seminars across the US and Canada.
Qualitative teaching
Research-backed visual methods. You will understand why structures behave the way they do — not just learn to plug numbers into formulas.
Architectural lens
Structural concepts taught through the lens of design decision-making — the way architects actually need to understand them.
Full access to every lesson — past, present, and future. New content added regularly.
Every category architects encounter — from fundamental forces to lateral systems.
In-depth whiteboard teaching — not just short clips. Every lesson builds real, lasting understanding.
Over 1,000 terms in our custom glossary and video definition library.
David Thaddeus, FAIA
David Thaddeus is a registered architect and Professor of Structures and Architectural Design. He has been at UNC Charlotte since 1999. Previously he was an Associate Professor at the University of Houston, where he taught architectural structures and design from 1989–1999. Professor Thaddeus earned his Bachelor of Structural Engineering from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon (AUB, 1981) and his Master of Architecture from the University of Houston (UH, 1988).
His research interests focus on the pedagogy of teaching structural concepts and ideas using visual and qualitative methods. In addition, he is interested in exploring structures, materials, and construction methods from the perspective of sustainability and performance.
In addition to teaching structures, architectural design, and sustainable structures at UNC Charlotte, Professor Thaddeus also teaches seminars for the Architect Registration Exam (ARE) all across the USA and Canada.
Professor Thaddeus has received several awards for his teaching and service at UNC Charlotte, UH, and the American Institute of Architects (AIA). He was named to the AIA College of Fellows in 2019.
“The question of whether a member is stable or unstable — determinate or indeterminate — is a simple matter of counting the number of reactions against the loading. Fewer than three reactions and the member is unstable. Exactly three, and you have three equations of equilibrium for three unknowns: stable and determinate, good to go.”— From Lesson 24 · Span Types: Stability & Determinacy Concepts · Transcript
I went through structures twice in school and passed both times without ever really understanding it. Two weekends with these lessons and bending moments finally clicked — I can look at a frame now and actually see where the forces go.
Passed Structural Systems on the first try. The exam isn’t testing whether you can plug numbers into a formula — it’s testing whether you understand behavior, and that’s exactly what David teaches.
My program barely touched structures, and I’d been quietly working around that gap for years. This filled it. I bring more to structural coordination meetings now and I’m not bluffing my way through them.
Stop guessing
at structure.
196 lessons. Taught by one of architecture’s leading structures educators. Get the visual understanding the ARE — and your practice — demands.